Package binding apparatus



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PACKAGE BINDING APPARATUS Filed June 30, 1960 16 Sheets-Sheet 15 Se t. 24, 1963 J. E. KERRIGAN 3,104,506

PACKAGE BINDING APPARATUS Filed June 30. 1960 16 Sheets-Sheet 16 BY 6 $9245 m 41%,2544 f "if r WKM %75.

United States Patent 3,104,606 PACKAGE BINDXNG APPARATUS James E. Kerrigan, Arlington Heights, 111., assignor to Chicago Printed String Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 30, 1960, Ser. No. 40,018 21 Claims. (Cl. 100-4) This invention relates to an apparatus for binding packages with tape, and more particularly, to an apparatus for looping a package with soft flexible tape or ribbon and for joining the ends :of this tape together to tightly bind the package.

This invention is particularly adapted for use with soft flexible tape, i.e., tape having no substantial stiiiness, as distinguished from relatively stilt, hard metal banding material of limited flexibility. The flexible tape is pretterably constructed or cloth fibers and has many distinct inherent advantages. For example, such tape will readily conform to the contour of any shape or size of package, and in general it is substantially cheaper than the metal banding material. In addition, the soft flexible tape may be easily severed to open the package.

An apparatus for binding packages should operate quickly and efliciently; it should be capable of applying the tape to the package firmly and accurately; and it should be capable of successively binding packages of various sizes automatically and without wasting any of the binding material. Immediately upon completing the binding of one package, the machine should be ready to accommodate and bind the next package.

In binding a package with soiit flexible tape, however, special problems arise. Since the tape has no substantial stilfness, one problem is that of guiding this tape about the package, and another problem is that of firmly joining the ends of the tape. With stifi metal banding material these problems do not exist because the end of the mate rial can be easily deflected about a package while being fed from a relatively remote point. Also, the ends of the stiff metal banding material can be easily deformed to lock them together in a tight joint. With soft tape, however, deflecting and remote feeding are not practical, and uniting of the ends of the material cannot be accomplished by mere deformation. Many machines which work quite satisfactorily with metal banding material would not operate at all with soft flexible tape.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide an apparatus 'for eliectively binding a package with flexible tape.

It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for quickly looping flexible tape about a package and tightly uniting the ends thereof together to firmly bind the package.

It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus which can rapidly bind successive packages with flexible tape.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an apparatus which will tightly bind a package with soft flexible tape in a very eflicient and effective manner re gardless of the size of the package. i

It is an additional object of this invention to provide an apparatus which will effectively and firmly bind a package with flexible tape and will apply a clip to the tape to permanently unite the ends thereof.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an apparatus which will loop a package with flexible tape, will apply the desired degree of tension to the tape and will firmly join the ends of the tape together.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a package binding apparatus which will form a clip and apply the clip to tape which has been looped about the 2 package, whereby the ends of the tape may be firmly joined together.

Other objects will be seen, and a further understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The apparatus constructed in accordance with this in vention is particularly adapted to bind a package with sofit flexible tape and includes a frame and means on the .frame for supporting a tape supply spool and for regulating the rotation of the supply spool in accordance with the demand for the tape. Means is also provided on the frame for supporting the package with the bottom'thereof in a predetermined, preferably horizontal, plane. A gripper disposed below the horizontal plane is adapted to grip a first portion of the tape extending to the free end thereof. A retractable .guidespaced from the gripper and mounted below the horizontal plane adjacent the entrance side of the machine positions the tree end or first portion of the tape substantially horizontally. A guide arm mounted on the frame is pivotal-1y movable about a fixed axis disposed above the horizontal plane between a first position in which the tree end of the arm is raised above the plane sufliciently to permit passage of a package thereunder and a second position in which the free end of the arm is below both the horizontal plane and the bottom of the package. The freeend of the guide arm during movement {between its first and second positions is disposed wtihin and defines a vertical looping plane, and those portions of the guide armadjacent the free end are oifset with respect to the free end. This tacilitates the joining of the ends of the tape.

The tape extends from the spool, about the guide arm to the retractable guide and thence to the gripper. When the guide arm is in its raised or retracted position, the tape is stretched across the entrance of the apparatus between the retractable guide and the free end of the guide arm, and the apparatus is ready to receive a package. A reversible feed means feeds the tape firom the supply spool when tension is applied to the tape in the guide arm by movement of a package into engagement with the tape extending between the free end of the movable guide arm and. the retractable guide.

When in position for tying, the leading edge of the package is in engagement with the tape, and part of the tape extends at an oblique angle from the leading edge of the package which is disposed within or slightly above the predetermined horizontal plane, to the retractable guide disposed slightly below the plane. The guide arm in its second or lowered position is effective to position a. second portion of the binding material extending to the supply spool in adjacent coextending relationship with respect to the first portion of the tape, which as previously described extends between the retractable guide and the gripper, and the intermediate potrion of the tape, i.e., the portion intermediate the first and second portions of material, is positioned about the package; The reversible feed means causes tension to be applied to the tape, and a pair of wedge-shaped positioning elements mounted on the frame for movement transverse to the looping plane enter between the package and the obliquely disposed tape to position this part of the tape away from the package and adjacent the first and second tape portions.

A clip applying mechanism which in its normal position is disposed remote from the path of the movable guide arm is then moved into position for the application of a clip to the three adjacent portions of the tape. The clip is applied in such a manner as to form a very tight joint between the three adjacent portions of the tape.

A tape cutter associated with the gripper severs at least the second portion of the tape after the clip has been applied thereto. The gripper moves simultaneously to 9 grip the severed end of the tape adjacent the free end of the guide arm so that when the arm is again raised, the tape will again be disposed across the entrance to the apparatus. Means is provided for operatively connecting the retractable guide to the wedge-shaped positioning elements, whereby when the positioning elements are retracted, the retractable guide will also be retracted to release the package. Means is provided for subsequently disconnecting the retractable guide and the positioning elements whereupon the retractable guide will return to its normal position. The guide arm is then moved to its raised position in preparation for binding the next package.

One of the features of this invention is the structure and operation of the movable guide arm which guides the tape about the package and positions the tape for the application of the clip thereto.

The clip applying mechanism is another feature of the invention. This mechanism is adapted to move from its retracted position into proximity with the adjacent portions of the tape to firmly affix a clip to these adjacent portions. Other features of the invention include the novel clip forming mechanism, the means for transferring a clip from the forming mechanism to the clip applying mechanism, the retractable guide and the tape positioning elements. These and many other features cooperate to provide an apparatus which is extremely efiicient for binding packages.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the apparatus partially in section showing the movement of the movable guide arm and illustrating the manner in which the tape is positioned about the package by the guide arm;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus with the guide arm in its lowered position;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the spool holder illustrating the means for regulating the rotation of the spool holder and for taking up slack during the tensioning;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the spool holder, the regulating means and the slack take-up means;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevation view of the guide arm and the reversible feed means;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the guide arm and the reversible feed means;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the gripper and the cutter showing the interrelation therebetween;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the gripper and the cutter;

FIG. 10 is an end elevation view of the gripper and the cutter taken substantially along line 1010 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an end elevation view taken substantially along line 1111 of FIG. 9 showing the mechanism for operating the gripper and the cutter;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the material positioning means and the retractable guide means;

FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of the tape positioning means and the retractable guide means;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the machine illustrating the relationship of the clip forming and clip applying mechanisms;

FIG. 15 is an end elevation view of the clip forming mechanism and the clip transfer means;

FIG. 16. is a side elevation view of the clip forming mechanism and the clip transfer means;

FIG. 17 is a view of the clip forming mechanism and clip transfer means taken substantially along line 17-17 of 'FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a side elevation view of the clip forming mechanism and clip transfer means showing the opera tions thereof as the clip is being formed and after the clip has been formed;

FIG. 19 is an elevation View of the clip applying mechanism illustrating the movement of this mechanism from its retracted position to its clip applying position;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged side elevation view of the clip applying mechanism partially in section;

the operation of the mechanism to efiect closing of the clip;

FIG. 23 is an end elevation view of the mechanism for operating the guide arm, the reversible feed means and the timing mechanism for the apparatus;

FIG. 24 is an elevation view partially in section of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is an elevation view of the mechanical and electrical timing mechanism for the apparatus;

FIG. 26 is a sectional elevation view taken substantimly along line 2626 of FIG. 25 and illustrating the drive for the electrical and mechanical timing mechanisms;

FIG. 27 is a top plan view of the mechanical timing mechanism with the cover plate thereof removed;

FIG. 28 is a sectional view of the mechanism for operating the cutter and gripper taken substantially along line 2828 of FIG. 25;

FIG. 29 is an elevation view of the mechanism for ef fecting movement of the clip applying mechanism between its retracted and its clip applying positions;

FIG. 30 is a sectional elevation view taken substantially along line 30'3tl of FIG. 25 and illustrating the mechanism for operating the tape positioning means; and

FIG. 31 is a diagram of the electrical circuit employed in accordance with this invention.

The apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention is adapted to bind a package 4-2 with soft flexib'le tape 44. The tape is preferably of fabric and may be either woven or of the weftless variety. Such tape has no substantial stiffness and is thus distinguishable from wire and from metal banding material which can also be used to bind packages.

The apparatus 40 includes. a frame 46 having a package support plate 48 which is adapted to support the bottom of the package 42 in a predetermined horizontal plane. Plate 48 has a slot 48a extending inwardly from one side thereof, which may be conveniently termed the entrance side of the apparatus. Extending vertically upward from the package support plate 48 is 'a cabinet upright 50, and a guide arm 52 is pivotally connected to this upright for movement between a raised or retracted position illustrated in FIG. 1 and a lowered position illustrated in FIG. 2. Also connected to upright 50 is a device 54 for holding a supply spool 55 of the flexible tape.

As best illustrated in FIG. 2, spaced below the package support plate 48 and adjacent the inner end of slot 48a, is a gripper 58 for gripping the free end of the tape. Spaced laterally from the gripper 58 adjacent the entrance side of the apparatus is a retractable guide which is adapted to traverse slot 481:. The flexible tape 44 thus extends from the spool 56 about the guide arm 52 and the guide 69 to the gripper 58. The package 42 when moved into position for binding, as illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings, will initially comeinto engagement with the tape 44 extending vertically across the entrance of the machine between the :guide arm 52 and the guide 60. A reversible feedmechanism 62 responsive to tension applied to the tape 44 by the movement of the package into engagement therewith is effective to feed the tape from the supply spool onto the guide arm 5-2 until the package is at rest in the position illustrated in FIG. 2, and the tension on the tape 44 is thus relaxed. Arm 52 is actuated downwardly from the position illustrated in FIG. 1 to the position illuistrated in FIG. 2, causing a second portion 44b of the tape to be disposed in adjacent coextending relationship with the first portion 44a of the tape between the gripper 58 and the guide 60 and causing the intermediate portions 440 of the tape 44 to'be positioned about package 42 The reversible feed mechanism 62 when reversed is efiective to apply a tension to the tape extending about the package 42 and to gripper S. Tape positioning elements 64 mounted just below plate 48 for transverse horizontal movement efiectively wedge the tape extending along the bottom of the package downwardly to a position spaced from the package and adjacent the first and second tape portions 44a and 44b.

At this point, a clip applying mechanism 66 (see FIG. 1) which had been previously positioned remote from the path of the free end or" guide arm 52. is moved upwardly into position in proximity with the three adjacent portions of the tape, and this mechanism is effective to apply a metal clip 67 to these adjacent portions to thus firmly interconnect them. After the adjacent portions of the tap have been thus clipped together, a cutter 68 operatively connected to the gripper 58 and disposed between the gripper and the clipped joint severs the second portion 44b of the tape extending over the guide arm 52 to the supply spool 56. The gripper 53 and the cutter 68 operate simultaneously and, thus the tape extending from the free end of the guide arm 52 is gripped by gripper 58 as the cutter 68 severe it from the joint and as the gripper releases the previously held free end portion 44a of the tape. The positioning elements 64 are retracted and effect the momentary simultaneous retraction of the guide 6% to release the package and the tape extending thereabout. Since the free end of -the material 44 has been gripped by the gripper 58, when guide arm 52 is raised the tape will again be positioned horizontally between the gripper 58 and guide 6% and vertically across the entrance of the apparatus. The clip 67 which is applied to the adjacent portions of the material to firmly unite them is substantially U-shaped and is formed in a mechanism 79 disposed below slotted support plate 48. The clip 67 is transferred from the clip forming mechanism 70 to the crim-per or clip applying mechanism 66 by means of a clip transfer device 72.

The device for holding the supply spool 56 is best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. Attached to upright 56 is a horizontal cantilever channel brace 84 and journalled for pivotal movement at the end of this channel brace is a transversely disposed, horizontal shaft 82;. Two transverse disks S4 and 86 are mounted on the shaft 82 by means of setserews, and the supply spool 56 of the tape 44 is adapted to be positioned on the shaft 82 between these disks. Inner disk 84 has an eccentric pin 84a which extends axially outward toward outer disk 86, and is adapted to engage a corresponding hole in one of the side disks of the supply spool 56 to fix the supply spool in position on the shaft 82. The outside disk 86 may be conveniently removed from the shaft for the replacement of the supply spool 56.

A brake drum 88 is keyed to the end of shaft 82 on the opposite side of channel support 8% A lever member 90 pivotally mounted on a fixed pin 92 carries a brake shoe 94 adjacent one end thereof for engagement with the brake "drum 88. The lever 90 is pivotally movable about the fixed pin 92 to alternatively release and engage the brake and thus regulate the rotation of the shaft 82 and the supply spool 56 mounted thereon.

Also journalled in the channel support 80 adjacent the upright 59 is a second shaft 96. The shaft 96 is disposed parallel to the shaft 82;, and a link 98 is affixed to the one end thereof. A pin 6 carried on the link 98 is disposed within a slot 102 in the end of the brake lever $0. A second link 104 also connected to the shaft 96 within the channel support 80 has a threaded rod pivotally connected to its free end, and a spring 108 coiled about the rod 106 acts between a threaded nut 110 on the rod 106 and a stop 112 fixed to the channel support 841. Thus, the spring 168 urges link 1194 and the shaft 96 in a clocklike direction, as viewed in FIG. 5, and it also urges brake shoe 94 into engagement with the brake drum 83 by virtue of the operative interconnection of the shaft 96 to the lever 90 through the link 98.

A sleeve 1:14 is disposed on the shaft 96 substantially in line with the supply spool 56, and a lead arm 1 16 having a loop 116a at its free end is fixed to the shaft 114 in such a manner that the tape from the supply spool 56 may be led through the looped end 116a of this lead arm. Sleeve 114 has a recess or slot 1 14a in its outer end, and a collar 1'18 mounted in fixed position on the outer end of the shaft 96 has a transverse pin 118a which is disposed within recess 114a of the sleeve to restrict the relative notative movement of the sleeve 114 with respect to shaft 96. A spring 120 coiled about the shaft -96'has one of its ends fixed to a second collar 12.2. on the shaft 96, and the opposite end of the coil spring 120 is fixed to the sleeve 114. The coil spring 12% thus is effective to urge the sleeve 114 and the lead arm 116 about the shaft 96 in the clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 5.

The spring @120 is not strong enough to effect rotation of the shaft 96 in the counterclockwise direction against the resistance of the spring 103 when arm 116 is moved in the counterclockwise direction, but spring 120 is strong enough to cause the upward (clockwise) movement of lead arm 116 to take up slack between the supply spool 56 and the feed means 62 when the feed means 62 has been reversed to apply tension to the tape. When the feed means 62 is actuated to feed material from the supply spool 56, the lead arm 116 is drawn downwardly against the resistance of the spring 12% by the pull on the tape extending therethrough. When the pin 118a engages the end of the slot 114a in the sleeve 114, further rotation of the arm 116 and the sleeve 114 causes counterclockwise rotation of the shaft 96 against the resistance of the spring 108, and the lever 99 is rotated in the clocwise direction about its pivot pin 92 to disengage the brake shoe 94 from the brake drum 83, thus permitting the shaft 82 with the supply spool 56 affixed thereto to freely rotate. This free rotation is permitted until the feed means 62 no longer is applying a pull to the tape 44 extending through the lead arm 116, whereupon the spring 193 will return shaft 96 and brake lever 90 to their normal positions, and the brake shoe 94 will thus engage the brake drum 88 to prevent the further rotation of the supply spool 56 and to eliminate the backlash effect. When the feed means 62 is reversed, spring 12%) causes further clockwise rotation of arm 116 and sleeve 114 to take up slack in the tape.

The guide arm 52 and the feed mechanism 62 are connected together, as best illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, and both are mounted on a horizontally disposed hollow shaft 126 which is journalled in a sleeve bracket 128 mounted on the cabinet upright 5d. The shaft 126 extends through the bracket 128 and into the interior of the cabinet upright 55 (see FIGS. 23 and 24), and an operating lever 13% is keyed thereto. The operating lever 130* is connected to the piston rod 132a of a hydraulic cylinder 132. The reciprocal movement of piston rod 132a is governed by the application of hydraulic pressure to cylinder 132, and this movement effects movement of the guide arm 52 between its raised position illustrated in FIG. 1 and its lowered position illustrated in FIG. 2. A protuberance 13th: on lever 130 operates a switch 134, the function of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

Disposed coaxially within the hollow shaft 126 is a drive shaft 136, one end of which extends through the operating'lever 130 within the upright 50 and has a drive pulley 136a keyed thereto. Drive pulley 136a is connected by means of a flexible drive belt 138 to a larger drive pulley 14d keyed to the shaft 142a of a bidirectional A. C. motor 142. Keyed to the opposite end of shaft 136 is a spur gear 144, best illustrated in FIG. 6, which drives a pair of rubber tape-engaging rolls 146 and '148 through suitable gearing. Rolls 146 and 148 are disposed close together with their surfaces abutting, and the tape 44 extends over roll 148 and between the rolls 146 and 1455. Rolls 146- and 148 frictionally engage the tape, and depending upon the direction of rotation of these rolls the tape may be alternatively fed out over the guide arm 52 or tensioned. The motor 142 may be reversed to drive the shaft 136 and the rolls 146 and 148 alternatively in opposite directions. From the rolls 146 and 148 the tape extends through a lead arm 150 and thence over the guide arm 52. The lead arm 150 is connected to and operates a switch 154, and switch 154 in turn operates the motor 142 to effect feed out of the tape, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

When moving from its raised position, as illustrated in FIG. 1, to its lowered position, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, the free end 52a of the arm moves within and defines a vertical looping plane, that is, a plane within which the tape is to be looped about the package. The remainder of the guide arm 52 or at least the portion of the guide arm adjacent the free end 52a is laterally offset, i. e., disposed to one side of the looping plane. This offset arrangement of the guide arm 52 permits the clip applying mechanism 66 to be moved into proper position when the guide arm is in its lowered position.

It has been tound convenient to form guide arm 52 in two separate sections. The first section 160 is a substantially J-shaped casting or forging, and the second section 162 of the guide arm is tubular. The tubular second section 162 is disposed within a hole drilled in the end of the J-shaped first section 160, the two sections being held in place by means of screws 164. This tubular construction of the second section 162 of the guide arm permits the free end 52a of the guide arm to be easily bent or offset with respect to the remainder of the arm. The tape 44 extends from the feed mechanism 62 over suitable guide rolls on the first section 160 of the guide arm and thence through the tubular second section 162 to the free end 52a; and a guide roll 170 is provided at the free end 52a of the arm to properly guide the tape.

The guide 60 is preferably a pin which is spaced below the support plate 48 and is axially movable transverse to the looping plane from its normal position, best illustrated in FIGS. 3, 12 and 13, wherein it traverses the slot 48a in the package support plate to a retracted position wherein it is substantially removed from and disposed to one side of slot 48a. The guide pin 60 is slidably mounted in a guide block 174 mounted on the underside of plate 4-8, and when in its operative or normal position this pin 60 has one of its ends disposed within an apertured block 176 aligned with and corresponding to the block 174 but disposed on the opposite side of the slot 48:: therefrom. The opposite end of guide pin 60 is connected to a slide member 17 8' slidably mounted on a guide rod 180 which is fixed to the package support plate 48 by means of a bracket 182. A spring 184 coiled about the fixed rod 180 urges the slide member 178 and the guide pin 60, to the right in FIGS. 12 and 13, toward their operative or normal positions, wherein the pin traverses the slot 48a in the package support plate. Slide member 178 has a depending keeper portion 178a which facilitates retraction of guide pin 60 after the clip 67 has been applied to the adjacent portions of the tape, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The mechanism for gripping the free end of the tape and for severing the tape after the joint has been formed is best illustrated in FIGS. 8, 9, and 11. Mounted below the package support plate 48 near the inner end of the slot 48a is a substantially U-shaped bracket 186 having transverse parallel arms 187 and 188. Journ-alled between arms 187 and 188 of the bracket is a shaft 190, and keyed to the shaft 190 on the inside of the arm 188' of the bracket is the gripper 58. The gripper 58 is star-shaped having. four equally spaced, radially extending lgripping elements 58a, 58b, 58c and 58a. The leading edge of each of the gripping elements is rounded, so that when the gripper 58 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 10, the free end of the tape 44 will be wedged between one of the gripping elements and the arm 188 of the bracket 186. Also keyed to shaft 190 but disposed on the opposite side of the bracket arm the arrow in FIG. 10 to move one of the cutting elements 2 into engagement with the tape, the tape will be out between one of these elements and arm 188 of the bracket. A spring 196 coiled about the shaft 190 acts between a threadedly adjustable nut 198 on shaft 190 and the sleeve.

of the gripper 58. Thus, in effect spring 196 urges both the gripper 58 and the cutter 68 into tight engagement with the bracket arm 188 disposed therebetween.

Keyed to the opposite end of the shaft 190 is a ratchet wheel 200, and a pinion 202 is mounted on the shaft 190 for relative rotation in respect thereto and with respect to wheel 280. A lever bracket 204 fixed to the pinion 202 carries a pawl 206 adjacent its end, and pawl 206 is urged by a spring 207 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 206. Pawl 206 is thus adapted to effect rotation of the ratchet wheel and of the shaft 190 with the gripper 58 of the cutter 68 keyed thereto. The ratchet wheel 200 has four ratchet stops, and during each of its clockwise movements, as viewed in FIG. 11, the pawl 206 is adapted to rotate the ratchet wheel 200 and the shaft 190 through Pinion 202 is driven by. means of a rack 208, and rack 208 in turn is reciprocally moved by means of a cam 210 which is mounted on the cam shaft 212 within the cam box 214, as best illustrated in FIGS. 25 and 28. A double or split lever 216 mounted on a fixed pivot pin 218 has a follower wheel 220 for engaging cam 210, and the opposite end of the lever 216 is slotted to accommodate a transverse pin 222 carried by rack 208. A spring 224 acting between the free end of the double lever 216 and the cam box 214 urges the slotted end of the lever 216 and the rack 208 to the right in FIG. 28 and urges the follower 220 into engagement with cam 210. When the slotted lever 216 is moved to the left, i.e., when the lever is moved in the counterclockwise direction :by cam 210 against the resistance of spring 224, rack 208 is also moved to the left in FIG. 28 and in the direction of the arrows in FIGS. 8 and 11. This causes clockwise movement of the pawl 206 and corresponding clockwise movement of the ratchet wheel 200, the shaft 190, the gripper 58 and the cutter 68. Thus, each time cam 210 is rotated through 360, the gripper 58 and the cutter 68 are simultaneously moved through 90". It will be remembered that the free end portion 44a of the tape is gripped by the gripper 58. After the second portion 44b of the tape 'has been placed across the gripper 58 and the cutter 68 by the guide arm 52, and after the clip has been applied to the tape to join the ends thereof together, the cutter 68 and the gripper 58 are simultaneously rotated, as previously described. The cutter 68 will out both portions 44a and 44b of the tape, and the gripper 58 will grip the severed end of portion 44b which extends through guide arm 52 to the supply spool at the same time the small fragment of tape at the end of portion 44a which had been previously gripped is released by the gripper 58. As a practical matter it is only necessary to sever the second portion 44b of the tape, but it has been found substantially more convenient to sever both portions of the tape. This also trims the tape ends equally.

As previously stated, after the package 42 has been positioned in the apparatus, the guide arm 52 has been moved to its lower position to position the tape about the package and the tape has been tensioned, the portion of the tape disposed adjacent the bottom of the package 42 is wedged away from the package and is positioned adjacent the first and second tape portions 44a and 44b, so that the clip may be applied to these three portions of the tape. The positioning means 64 for wedging the tape away from the package to facilitate the application of the clip thereto is best illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13. For this purpose, two pairs of substantially wedge-shaped 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR BINDING A PACKAGE WITH FLEXIBLE TAPE FED FROM A SUPPLY, MEANS FOR GRIPPING A FIRST PORTION OF THE TAPE, MOVABLE GUIDE MEANS FOR POSITIONING A SECOND PORTION OF THE TAPE EXTENDING TO SAID SUPPLY IN ADJACENT COEXTENDING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO THE FIRST PORTION THEREOF AND FOR GUIDING AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE TAPE ABOUT THE PACKAGE, A CLIP APPLYING MECHANISM INCLUDING A PAIR OF JAWS MOUNTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN A NORMAL OPEN POSITION FOR ACCOMMODATING AN OPEN CLIP AND A CLOSED POSITION FOR CLOSING THE CLIP, A JAW-ENGAGING CAM ELEMENT MOVABLE IN ONE DIRECTION BETWEEN SAID JAWS TO EFFECT MOVEMENT OF SAID JAWS TO THEIR CLOSED POSITION, MEANS FOR EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF SAID JAWS TOWARD THEIR OPEN POSITION WHEN SAID CAM ELEMENT IS MOVED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AN IMPACT MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID CAM ELEMENT FOR LIMITED RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO BETWEEN SAID JAWS, WHEREBY SAID IMPACT MEMBER MAY BE DRIVEN IN ONE DIRECTION BY SAID CAM AND MAY BE WITHDRAWN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION BY SAID CAM, POWER MEANS FOR EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF SAID CAM ELEMENT TO CLOSE SAID JAWS AND FOR SUBSEQUENTLY EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF SAID IMPACT MEMBER TOWARD IMPACT ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID JAWS, WHEREBY THE CLIP MAY BE FIRST CLOSED AND THEN TIGHTLY COMPRESSED BETWEEN SAID JAWS AND SAID IMPACT MEMBER, MEANS FOR EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF SAID MECHANISM FROM A NORMAL RETRACTED POSITION REMOTE FROM THE PATH OF SAID MOVABLE GUIDE MEANS TO A CLIPPING POSITION IN WHICH THE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE TAPE ARE DISPOSED BETWEEN THE JAWS OF SAID MECHANISM, WHEREBY THE CLIP IN SAID MECHANISM MAY BE CLOSED ABOUT AND TIGHTLY COMPRESSED ON THE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE TAPE TO SECURELY FASTEN THEM TOGETHER, AND MEANS SEVERING THE SECOND PORTION OF THE TAPE INTERMEDIATE THE CLIPPED JOINT AND THE SUPPLY. 